So, how was your race? A look at the 2019 Dave Jordan Central Park Classic
“So, how was your race?” It is a simple question that we receive all the time as racers. Typically the answer revolves how your legs felt. Or how a given race strategy played out. Or if it’s in one of New York City’s parks, about the lap where a garbage truck pulled out in front of the field and riders were forced to take evasive action.
5:20AM in Central Park, just a few minutes before several hundred riders rolled off the start line.
However, when you are working behind the scenes at a race - as a race director, race staff, official, or volunteer of some sort - the “how was your race” inquiry has a very different connotation. It calls to mind the stress of watching early registration trends and the challenges of trying to balance the race budget.
Clark in full flight during the Dave Jordan Central Park Classic.
Which is to say nothing of the stress of race day. The stress of 3:30AM alarm clarks, the last minute push to get registration completed so fields can roll off the start line at 5:30AM just as the sun is rising. And the stressful moments during the race trying to calculate whether fields will overlap on their finishes and sorting out moto ref assignments amidst a flurry of high paced on the bike action.
Stephanie Halamek put in a dominant performance at DJCPC, winning both the gambler’s prime and the elite women’s overall title.
And yet, somehow, someway, if you’re lucky the stars might align just perfectly. The last minute vehicle insurance paperwork gets filed just in time (with a huge helping hand from our officials). A sub-team goes above and beyond in volunteering to make early number pick-up possible (thanks Pauly D). Then suddenly, with a last minute surge, the race becomes the largest cycling event the club has ever hosted in Central Park.
Which is exactly what happened with the 2019 Dave Jordan Central Park Classic. There were moments of stress and last minute fires to put out. And there were anxiety inducing moments with vehicles in the roadway. But through it all, we managed to put on what felt like an immensely successful event with 400 of our fellow racers on a very early morning in Central Park.
On a day for the sprinters there were a number of exceptionally close finishes.
In the coming days results will be loaded to USAC and photographs will filter through social media. But for now, in the warm afterglow of a great morning in New York City we just want to extend a thank you to everyone who played a part. To the Jordan family for their continued support of this event. To Seb who stepped up as race director and Caetano who was assistant race director. To the entire CRCA Board for tackling tasks large and small behind the scenes. To our officials and motos, to our tireless race staff, to the volunteer marshals, and to everyone else who came out for the fun. Thank you for a successful and rewarding 2019 Dave Jordan Central Park Classic. See you at the 8th annual edition of the #DJCPC in 2020.
A New York City based cyclist and sometimes photographer. Part adventure rider, part crit racer, and fully obsessed with an English bulldog named Winifred.
Instagram: @photorhetoric
E-mail: matthew@tobedetermined.cc
